A Light to Live For
by ArtOFAnime
Summary: COMPLETE Rin is a girl turned woman. When Naraku kidnaps her, and wants her to be his mate, Rin uncovers a deep secret about him. What about Sesshomaru and Kohaku? A weird love square all revolved around Rin. .SR.
1. Chapter 1

**A Light to Live For**

**By ArtOFAnime**

**Summary: Rin is a girl turned woman. When Naraku kidnaps her, and wants her to be his mate, Rin uncovers a deep secret about him. What about Sesshomaru and Kohaku? A weird love square all revolved around Rin. .S/R.**

**Rated: T.**

**Disclaimer: DO-NOT-OWN-NADA…gosh…**

**A/N: Just telling you guys this, the episode where Rin gets captured by Naraku never happened. Everyone is still hunting down Naraku after all these years and Kohaku is freed from Naraku's control too. Also, I got some of my ideas from Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya.**

It has been about thirteen years since Rin found Sesshomaru in the forest. She had loyally traveled by his side with Jaken ever since. Now, in her late teens, Rin was a woman. A very beautiful, active, and determined woman. She was shorter than Sesshomaru by a head, which was pretty average for a girl her age. At the moment, she had on a red and silver kimono, which the sleeves were baggy like Sesshomaru's for air. Jaken was mumbling to himself like usual, and Sesshomaru, in all his glory was walking full of pride in front of them.

"Umm… Sorry, but where are we going? We have been walking; well at least it seems, aimlessly for the past few days." Rin asked Sesshomaru. She had noticed her 'adult' attraction to him now, and wondered how long it would last. When she found him in the forest, she found him very pretty and thought of him as an angel without wings. Now, instead of admiring or idolizing him, like she did before, fawning over him like Jaken did, she felt something different. Yes, she still admired him, but she began to notice his beauty and grace every time he did something. She began to notice that whenever he looked at, her face flushed. So, one time when Sesshomaru went to Inuyasha's gang in the village to do something, she asked Kagome what the feeling was. Kagome had told her that it was something girls feel when they are in love. Girls feel that way because they begin mature, and see things in a different perspective. Well, back to the present, Sesshomaru still hadn't answered Rin. She 'hmphed', but kept on walking.

It was starting to get late, so they set up camp in a small clearing near a river, caught some fish, and found other things to eat. Sesshomaru was currently sitting on top of branch on a tree. He seemed to be deep in though for some reason. Rin thought of offering him food, but thought of all the other times he was offered: "Rin, I do not eat that food." She finished her meal, and went to sleep along with Jaken.

She awoke in the morning to the sound of screaming or arguing.

"Inuyasha! You are such a jerk! Don't make me say it!" That Rin thought, was Kagome's voice. Somewhere else, a slap could be heard.

"You damn pervert!!!" Yup, that was Sango's voice, yelling at that perverted monk. Rin glanced at Sesshomaru, and saw him growling from the disturbance of his sleeping. He jumped down from his branch and glared at the incoming group.

Inuyasha diverted his attention from arguing with Kagome to Sesshomaru, "Sesshomaru! What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you the same thing," Sesshomaru replied.

"Rin! Hi! I haven't seen you in a while, wow, you look so big now!" Kagome shouted as she waved to Rin.

"Hello!" Rin called back as she scanned the group. Everyone was there, but she noticed a boy that she had never seen before with them.

"Oh, sorry I didn't introduce you earlier. Rin, this is Kohaku, my younger brother." Sango said looking towards Kohaku and Rin. Kohaku looked like an average boy, with his hair tied back. He was taller than her, but still shorter than Sesshomaru. When he waved at Rin, she saw a cute smile, like that of a little boy smiling to his mother.

Getting out of her daze Rin replied, "Nice to meet you". Meanwhile, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha dissed each other while giving glares.

"Feh! This is dumb, c'mon you guys, lets go." So as Inuyasha commanded, the gang followed. Kohaku gave Rin that sweet smile again. And Rin smiled back too. Sesshomaru, however, was looking at them at the corner of his eye. He felt something in his chest, something that never happened to him before; considering he never felt ANYTHING before. Rin then turn her head and smiled her sweet smile at him. Sesshomaru looked back, but quickly looked away. He wondered what was happening to him, ever since Rin had grown up; he had this weird feeling in his chest.

They kept walking for a few days until they heard about an attack by Naraku. They arrive at a village to find it in flames, obviously attacked by Naraku.

"Uh! Naraku, that evil creep. Killing all the innocent people in that village; one day, you're going to pay." Rin said angrily.

"There's nothing left here, let's go," Sesshomaru commanded as the others followed. A few days passed since they saw the village and Inuyasha's gang. With each coming day, the two hearts of Sesshomaru and Rin began to think the same thing. Rin avoided looking at him, as the same with him.

"Why the silence? You two are surely avoiding each other. Mmm… Could it be that you two… 'like' each other? Haha, Sesshomaru, never thought it could be, falling in love with a human? Hahaha. Well I don't blame you, such a pretty girl," Rin's head jerked up at the last statement.

Sesshomaru sniffed the air, "Naraku…"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Show yourself you worthless half-demon!" Squeaked Jaken's little voice, but Naraku had already vanished when Jaken finished his sentence. Everything was silent, except for the voice of the wind left behind by Naraku. The trees swayed and the grass rustled at the disturbance of peace.

"Master Jaken! Come on! Lord Sesshomaru is leaving!" Rin cried as she ran to catch her lord. Jaken followed, but in a more clumsy way.

It was nighttime and everyone was getting ready for dinner. Rin had been ordered to get some wood for the fire in the forest, but she kept thinking about what Naraku said earlier. She couldn't help but feel like something wrong with the whole situation. Distracted by that thought, Rin smacked straight into someone.

"Whoa! Sorry… Rin?! Uh, no time to talk now, we need to run! There are a bunch of wolves chasing me!" And with that, Kohaku grabbed Rin's arm and started sprinting. Rin however, dropped all the wood that she had managed to find. They kept on running towards the opening of the forest, near where Sesshomaru and Jaken were waiting. They heard the barks of the hungry animals, and soon, the wolves were on their tail.

"Kohaku! I see Lord Sesshomaru, he'll protect us!" Rin cried as they sprinted their hearts out. Hearing the voice of Rin, and the barks of wolves, Sesshomaru rose from his sitting position under the tree. He immediately recognized the smell of Kouga's wolves. He had encountered the wolf demon before, and his wolves were the ones that had killed Rin when she was little. Sesshomaru waited for Kohaku and Rin to run into the clearing. Finally they did, and Sesshomaru held out his sword for attack.

"STOP!" Kouga's voice commanded. He calmly came out of the forest from behind his wolves. "Sesshomaru, we meet again."

Pointing his sword at the wolves, he said "Give me one reason I should not kill these creatures." Sesshomaru, with is usual expression stared at Kouga.

"Well, number one, they were hungry, and number two, I didn't know that it was the demon slayer's brother and your little friend that they were after. If I knew, I could've told them to stop." Kouga replied calmly. 'Sure, I he knew it was us, he would've told them to stop. That's just plain old crap.' Kohaku thought; Sesshomaru was also thinking along those lines.

"Since you have no business here, I suggest you leave." Sesshomaru said in a command tone.

Kouga smirked, "Fine." And so, he walked away along with his hungry wolves. When they were out of sight, Sesshomaru walked over to his tree, sat down and closed his eyes.

"Phew, that was close," Rin sighed. "What are you doing here anyway? I though you were traveling with Inuyasha and the others."

Kohaku replied, "Well, I was gathering some firewood, then all these wolves come and chase me, then I run, losing my direction. Yea, and that's how I got lost. Well, I'm not lost though; I know where my sister and the others are headed, so I can meet them there. They finally found some trace of Naraku, and I personally think it is a big hint. One of the monsters we fought the other day told us that Naraku is planning to do something at Abunai Shiro, a supposedly haunted castle in seven days."

After Kohaku was done talking, Jaken asked, "Are we also going to head there milord?"

"Yes" Was Sesshomaru's simple answer.

"You can travel with us; you'll be a lot safer too." Rin said.

"Are you stupid girl? Why would Lord Sesshomaru let another worthless human travel with us? One stupid human is enough, we don't need two!" Jaken ranted, pointing his staff at both of them.

Rin responded in a pleading way, "Please Lord Sesshomaru, we're going the same way, and I promise he won't bother you from whatever you're doing. Please, he'll be much safer with us."

Still not opening his eyes, Sesshomaru replied another simple 'yes'. Rin smiled in delight, and Jaken sighed, rolled his eyes, and went to a corner and fell asleep. Soon, both Rin and Kohaku followed.

The next morning, the group started to head towards the castle. On the way, Rin and Kohaku had become acquainted rather well. They shared interests, and every so often, both of them would laugh at something funny. Rin enjoyed his chattering company, compared to the boring words coming out of Jaken's mouth all the time. Sesshomaru however, was annoyed at so much conversation between Rin and Kohaku. He began to think how happy Rin seemed talking to Kohaku; it made him feel how lonely Rin was everyday, without anyone to talk to. 'Stop it! Why are you thinking such meaningless thoughts about her? You never seemed to care before, so why start now?' his conscience told him. Sesshomaru shook his head to free himself of all his thoughts. He had been ignoring the conversation behind him ever since it started, but this new topic they started discussing caught his attention.

"Hey Rin, why do you travel with him? Don't you ever get lonely or something? I mean, he doesn't talk very much, and the frog guy is just plain annoying. You might not know it, but maybe he's plotting to kill you at any moment." Kohaku asked curiously.

"Lord Sesshomaru would never do that! If he did, he would have done it a long time ago, and besides, I was already dead before he revived me. He revived me for a reason, I might know what that reason is yet, but I know he didn't just revive me for nothing. If he didn't like me, he wouldn't have let me follow him. He could have let me die, but instead, he saved me countless times." Rin was now looking down at her feet, afraid Sesshomaru might say something to her. Hearing nothing, she continued, "I might get bored at times, but I have this feeling, actually, I've always had this feeling that I belong here, with him and Jaken. I couldn't imagine anywhere else where I would fit in." After Rin finished her little speech, Sesshomaru was in deep though about the whole situation. She hadn't even told him this before, and now, he felt like he just got punched straight in the heart. Sesshomaru felt amazed, confused, surprised, and all these other weird emotions not know to him. The Lord Sesshomaru was truly at a loss.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The next night, Kohaku and Jaken had already fallen asleep and Sesshomaru and Rin were the ones awake. Sesshomaru was in his usual spot, sitting under the tree with his arm on his knee. Rin was staring into the flames; she felt uncomfortable by the silence. This was one of those rare occasions where Jaken and Kohaku went to sleep early, and she and Sesshomaru were alone. Sesshomaru also a bit disturbed by the silence, but he wanted but didn't want to be the one to break it. He was thinking hard on what to say, or whether he should say something at all. There were about 15 minuets of more silence, and then Sesshomaru finally made up his mind. He walked over to Rin and sat nearby, facing her. Rin's face immediately flushed for some unknown reason at his movement. Both stared at each other for sometime, and then Sesshomaru finally spoke, "What you said earlier, did you truly mean that?"

"Um, well everything I said before, I meant." Rin paused for a moment, trying to think of what to say next. "When I was little, before my parents were killed, they took me to their friend, a priestess. My mom told me that this priestess knew many wise things, and it was true, she told me many things I will remember forever. One thing she told me was that everyone has a reason to live in this world, whether they find the reason in their job, in someone else, or an animal. You and Jaken are my reason for living. Master Jaken may be annoying at times, but I still have your unchanging personality. I admit, I don't like Master Jaken that much, but you give me a reason to want to wake up everyday, you give me a reason to want to keep living in life. I have never thought about these things when I was little, but now I understand what she meant. Lord Sesshomaru, I wish that I can stay with you forever, until the time when we have to leave this world. Lord Sesshomaru, I-" Rin paused, reconsidering what she was about to say. 'Should I tell him? What if, what if…'

"Lord Sesshomaru, I what?" Sesshomaru asked, curious to hear what Rin was about to say. After all the words he heard from Rin's mouth, something inside was pulling at him to tell her something, but he just couldn't catch what it was trying to say.

Rin took a deep breath and then continued, "Lord Sesshomaru, I have loved you my entire life, but now, I feel that that love has changed. I don't know what is happening, but now, every time you speak to me, and every time you look at me, my heart starts to pound. I'm not a child anymore, and… And I'm just so confused!" Rin finished, almost crying. She didn't know what to say next, so she just thought she could end the conversation quickly. "I'm sorry milord, but I'm getting tired, goodnight," She said as she faked tiredness as an excuse to get away from him and think. She walked over to a comfortable spot on the grass near Kohaku and Jaken and fell asleep. Sesshomaru however was also very confused, 'Do I also feel the same way? No! I shouldn't, she is a human, a race that I kill for fun. What are you saying? That she is no better than dirt? You have let her travel with you for all this time; surely a Lord wouldn't let a little pest travel with him. Shut up! A full blooded royal demon should not fall for a pathetic human! Well, then what about your father? Huh? He fell for a human, and they made a son that may even be more powerful than his full demon brother.' Sesshomaru banged his head against the tree; 'I'm getting ridiculous, arguing with myself?' He shook out all his thoughts and settled by the trunk and fell asleep, tired out because of himself.

Dream/Flashback

"Lord Sesshomaru! Look what I found!" Little Rin shouted happily as she ran to Sesshomaru with a heart-shaped stone in her hand. Catching her breath for a few moments, Rin then said "A nice lady once told me that this is the shape of a heart. She says if I give a heart to anyone I love, then the person who got the heart will be forever happy. Here you go, Lord Sesshomaru, I want to give this heart shaped rock to you." Sesshomaru bent down to the little girl as she handed him the stone. He examined it for a while, thinking how such a simple thing could make Rin smile so brightly.

"Thank you Rin." He placed the stone within his armor, and said, "Come, we're leaving".

End Dream/Flashback

The next morning, they had finally come within sight of the dark castle. "This doesn't look good… Not one bit." Kohaku commented, looking at the miasma around the castle. "The aura is so dark, and it feels so cold… Something big is defiantly going to happen." Sesshomaru sniffed the air, and there might as well be giant letters stamped on the air saying 'NARAKU IS HERE'. It smelled horrible to the demon lord's sensitive nose. Suddenly a giant gust of wind blew past them, 'That smell…' Sesshomaru thought.

"Ahhhh!!! Lord Sesshomaru! Help me!!!" Cried Rin's voice as Kagura captured her and flew away on her giant feather. Sesshomaru immediately tried to slash Kagura but it was too late. Something caught his eye though, a note left behind by Kagura. It read:

_Dear Sesshomaru,_

_If you have found this letter, then it means that I have successfully captured your ward. I advise you not to immediately chase after her, because there are a few things to be warned of. For one, my miasma shield will poison the little girl the moment you step inside its boundary. You will be allowed to come inside the barrier in two days, along with your brother's group. Another thing I advise is that if you even try the smallest trick to get your Rin back, I will personally and painfully make your little ward suffer. Two more days Sesshomaru, we will meet then._

_Naraku._

He burned the letter with his poisonous acid the moment he finished reading it. "That bastard…" Sesshomaru cursed under his breath. 'He better not do anything to her…'

**A/n: Thanks for the reviews so far, keep'em comin! Oh, and a little sneak peak for the next chapter: …CLIFFY!…**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

She opened her eyes to voices talking, which seemed like Naraku's and Kagura's. Rin rubbed her eyes, and tried to remember what happened to her 'Oh yea, I remember now. We were at the castle, but Kagura came and kidnapped me. When we were flying, she knocked me out… Or I fainted… My head hurts.' She looked around; it was a dark room, with violet drapes covering the windows. There was a dresser at one end, and two doors at the other end. Rin looked down at what she lying on; it was an average size coffee-colored futon. 'So much dark colors… Well, it is Naraku's place, no surprise.' She heard footsteps coming down the hall, 'I have to keep calm… Naraku might just want me to lure Lord Sesshomaru to the castle or something. Keep calm Rin… Keep calm.' Rin sat on the futon, waiting for the door to open. Finally it did and Naraku came in, smirking a little.

"Sleep well? I hope my creation didn't do anything too drastic…" Naraku said, walking towards Rin in his dark kimono. He sat on the little end table next to the futon.

"Creation…?" Rin wondered out loud.

Naraku smirked again, "Oh, Kagura, if you didn't know. You seem quite calm for someone who was kidnapped." Rin looked at him, his clothes were all dark, except for one time, she saw Sesshomaru fighting Naraku, and he was wearing some kind of armor thingy like her lord. Except with much larger spikes and a giant eye in the middle of his clothing. Right now, he was a wearing several layers of dark kimono, and the outside layer kimono had yellow designs on it. 'He seems a bit nicer when he isn't fighting' Rin thought.

"Why did… Uh… Kagura take me here?" Rin asked, curious of why Naraku was acting so… Strange.

Naraku laughed a little and said, "You will find out soon, but right now, don't worry. I'm not going to kill you, unless you want me to… Anyway, you cannot leave this castle, so don't even try. You can wander anywhere in this castle though… Just don't get too carried away." He got up, and walked to the door. Naraku turned back and looked at the confused Rin and smiled a little, but mostly smirked.

After he left, Rin fell back down on her futon, 'What does he want with me? Why is he acting so… Weird…? Ahhh!!! So many strange things are happening; I wonder when lord Sesshomaru will come for me? Come soon please…' After thinking all those unanswerable questions, Rin turned around on her futon, and fell almost immediately to sleep.

Dream/Flashback

Sesshomaru, Rin, Jaken and Ah-Un were in a small cave, settling down for one night. The fire was flickering and Jaken was out finding everyone something to eat. Sesshomaru was staring out into the distance, thinking about something.

"Eeekkk! Lord Sesshomaru, help me!" Young Rin screamed from where she was sitting. Sesshomaru immediately snapped out of his daze and rushed over to Rin.

"What happ-' He stopped him self when he saw a tarantula crawling up Rin's leg. She, herself had covered her head, closed her eyes and was shivering. Sesshomaru smirked to himself a little, and then picked up the crawler with his clawed hand.

"Rin, open your eyes." He commanded as Rin slowly uncurled herself from her ball. "This is a tarantula, or a kind of spider; it won't hurt you."

Rin then pointed a little finger at it, "B-b-but, it looks so scary! And it's so dark and spiky." She complained.

"All spiders are dark, and it is not spiky, it's just hairy. Touch it, it won't bite you." He surprised himself by comforting this little soul, but it did feel soothing in a way. Rin stretched out a finger to pet the tarantula.

Rin then withdrew her finger, "It's soft… But I still don't like it…" Sesshomaru then got up, and let the furry crawler go outside the cave.

He then turned to her, "It won't bother you anymore, Rin. Relax." She nodded then went to sit by the fire. That was the first time she had been scared since Koga's wolves had chased her. It was one of the few moments that Sesshomaru had truly showed that he cared for her.

End Dream/Flashback

Sesshomaru's group had made camp nearby the castle. He himself was wondering the path along the castle, 'Why do I feel so… Awkward? He said Rin will not get hurt, so why am I worrying? Why did he kidnap her? He told me in that letter that I was allowed to go into the castle in two days, so Rin's kidnapping was obviously not to lure me in.' Sesshomaru released his poison whip at several trees, slashing them to pieces. 'Dammit…'

"I wonder how Rin is doing?" Kohaku asked back at the camp.

"Why do care about her? You only knew her for a few days, so what's the big deal?" Jaken asked, annoyed by the fact that Kohaku was worried about Rin. He himself didn't like Rin that much because she had stole his lord from him. After all these centuries of serving Lord Sesshomaru, he had favored Rin to him…

Kohaku looked at the green toad, 'I can't even stand this guy for five minutes, so just how can Rin stand him her whole life?' "Well, she did get kidnapped by a half-demon whose name means hell, and pretty unusual looking, so you give me a reason why I shouldn't worry about her." Kohaku replied. After that, there was a very long silence between the two, until Sesshomaru came on the scene. He ignored both of them, and walked to a tree and sat down.

Jaken swallowed, and asked nervously, "Lord Sesshomaru is everything okay?" Sesshomaru just glared at him, then closed his eyes.

The next day, Rin jerked up from her sleep by a very disturbing dream. She looked around the room, 'Nope, this isn't a dream. I'm still in Naraku's lair. Rin lazily stood up, and walked to the door. The castle was very dark and foggy, even in the day. Rin accidentally walked into Kanna when rounding one of the corners.

"Naraku has been waiting for you… Follow me…" Kanna whispered in her aloof voice. So both of them walked for about five minutes until they reached what Kanna called it, the living room. There were large, double wooden doors, and when Kanna said a magical incantation, the massive doors opened to reveal Naraku, sitting in a chair. To the eye, he blended in with the dark colors of the room.

"Come Rin, have a seat," he said in an archly voice. Rin looked skeptical, but since she had no other choice, she went in and sat in the chair across from him. Kanna had invisibly left the scene after she said the incantation, so it was just the two of them. "I suppose you want to know why I brought you here…"

**A/n: Heheh! Cliffhanger time! Well, review and maybe I'll free y'all of all your suspense sooner.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 **

On the outside of the castle, the wind was blowing fiercely, and to make it worse, it was starting to snow. The weather had gotten worse over past two days because of the end of the year approaching. Inuyasha and his friends were approaching the castle, about one more day's walk. Everybody had been preparing for the fight with Naraku, sharpening their swords, arrows and boomerangs. Sango had been worried by the disappearance of her brother, but she knew that he would probably meet them at the castle.

They had met up with Kouga a few days before, and as usual, Inuyasha and him fought over 'who was their woman' for about half and hour. After they had stopped fighting, Kouga had said, "Well, if you keep on calling Kagome yours, then you better tell her soon. If you don't, they why keep on fighting with me? I have clearly stated that I love her, and if you don't…. Well, you might as well giver her to me." He concluded giving Kagome a wink, then walking off.

Ever since then, both Kagome and Inuyasha had been unusually quiet. Shippo, Miroku, and Sango would occasionally talk within each other, and leave the two lovebirds to deal with their own problem. Finally Shippo had enough of the quietness, "Hey Kagome, Inuyasha? When we get to Naraku's castle, will you two act like how you guys normally act? You guys seem… Well, kind of distant." Inuyasha immediately gave Shippo a bonk on the head.

"Who are you calling distant!?! I'm perfectly normal for you information!" Inuyasha yelled back at the cowering Shippo.

"Inuyasha! Why are you always so violent? Shippo is just asking a harmless question, there's no reason to get upset over it," Kagome responded to Inuyasha's yelling. Inuyasha just gave a snort and looked like a snotty brat. 'Uhhhhhhh!!!! He's impossible!' Kagome thought. Sango and Miroku just exchanged awkward looks, while Shippo was still nursing his injured head. The group walked in silence until they stopped to set up camp. Both Kagome and Inuyasha were still 'trying' to avoid each other by leaving to do something when the other is near, but it wasn't working. A few times they bumped into each other, blushed, said sorry, then continued to whatever they were doing.

Sango quietly whispered to Miroku, "At this rate, when will those two ever get together?" Miroku gave her an 'I don't know look' then whispered back,

"I hope soon, because this is getting very annoying. Well, at least we weren't like that, right Sango my love?" He gave her a super cute little smile while he said the last part. Sango blushed at what Miroku had said. Both of them had confessed their love about a year ago, and Miroku had broken the habit of his womanizing. Once in a while his eyes would wonder off, but overall, he was a good little boy.

Sesshomaru waited calmly in anticipation for the meeting with Naraku the next ay. He had already smelt his brother, so he knew they were close. During the whole day, Sesshomaru had memorized every little detail around the outside of the castle. Kohaku and Jaken had been ordered to look around and see if there was anything fishy around the premises. To both the little people, that had been a waste of the day, but both of them knew better than to question the great lord. Kohaku and Jaken had been wondering why this kidnapping of Rin had made their lord so annoyed and angry.

'One more night Naraku, then I will finally be able to have your head…' Was Sesshomaru's last thought before falling asleep.

**A/n: Ohhh! The suspense! The questions! Well, keep reviewing, and I'll try not to take too long…**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Why Naraku? Why did you take me away from my lord?" Finally Rin was going to get her answer from the malevolent man. He looked at her, with a wicked smile placed upon his lips.

"Dear little Rin… I have watched you every since Sesshomaru 'picked' you up in that forest. I have been watching you closely, and I have been wondering why or what made Sesshomaru let you follow him. I still don't know the answer to that question, but I do have a faint idea." He stopped and adjusted his sitting position and moved his ivory hair a little. "Since Sesshomaru hasn't claimed you as his life partner yet, you are still free for the picking…" Rin didn't like to what Naraku was getting at, and it didn't sound good at all. "I would like you to be my mate. Do you have a choice in this? Well…No. If you agree then good for you, and me. If you don't… Then I WILL make you my mate, whether you like it or not." He concluded his proposal with a little smile; it was more like an evil grin. Rin listened to all this with her mouth ready to drop onto the floor. 'M-m-m-me…? M-m-mate?' If he wasn't piercing her with his crimson eyes, then she would have fainted.

"W-w-why? Why me? There are so many other people out there… Why… Me?" Rin could barely talk from the shock.

"Why? Because I want to. I have been watching you for forever now. I think it's about time, right?" He answered in his calm tone. Rin just continued to stare at him, 'Why is he asking me in such a calm way? Why doesn't he just forcefully mark me and be done with it? Something is just not right in this picture.' "I suggest you hurry up with your decision… My patience is running thin, and if you don't make your decision soon, then I will make it for you," Naraku told her in an annoyed tone. He then stood up and walked over to her so that now, he was towering over her sitting form. "Choose…" He whispered into her ear. 'I don't see why he's telling me to choose, either way…' Her thoughts trailed off when Naraku suddenly kissed her. Rin abruptly looked up at Naraku, but then he deepened the kiss so her eyes were forced to close. 'Lord Sesshomaru…' Rin thought as a tear dropped onto her cheeks. At that moment, something extraordinary happened within Rin's mind. A light appeared from out of nowhere, and Rin felt as if she had become a cloud. For a moment, Rin felt so light, yet for another instant she felt as heavy as a tree. After that, Naraku abruptly jerked away, as he grimaced of some sort. He was breathing very heavily as he staggered back. "Y-y-you…." He looked at her in such a derogatory way that sent chills up her spine. He turned around and immediately walked, or more like sprinted out of the room. 'W-w-what just happened? Naraku… Naraku just stole my… he stole my first kiss!' Rin screamed mentally touching her lips and wiping her tears away.

"Hey, Rin right? I suggest you follow me because you friends are here to save you. Too bad they never will because Naraku will demolish them all, but you are certainly welcome to watch. But I will have to put this on," Kagura said as she threw a black chain-like thing around Rin's neck. "This will keep you from escaping, and it will allow me to control all your movements; so I suggest you follow my commands." Both of them started to walk quietly out to where Naraku, Sesshomaru, and Inuyasha were awaiting.

"Hahaha, so Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, you came… Good, now it's time to see who's the better demon…" Naraku said as a welcome.

"I don't need to compete with a lowlife like you, so just give Rin back, and I shall spare you the suffering." Sesshomaru said as he took out the Tokijin.

Inuyasha unsheathed the Tetseuiga, "Feh, cut the crap both of you, I'll just destroy him and everybody will be happy." Inuyasha started to run blindly at Naraku, but Naraku commanded his army of saimyosho to charge back at Inuyasha, which successfully stopped the half-demon in his tracks. "WIND SCAR!" Bellowed Inuyasha as he blew away dozens of the insects, but soon, more were flying at him. 'Dammit!!!' He thought while trying to avoid the stings.

'Fool… My sorry excuse for a brother can't even get close to the bastard. But I will." Sesshomaru thought as he gracefully ran towards Naraku. "Die."

**A/n: Reviews! Reviews and more reviews! Hums tunelessly 'I hope I'm not being too greedy…' Anyway, I wont be updating until after the new year, so I wish everyone a happy holiday. Please review and I will try to update sooner. Thanks.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The moment Rin walked outside, she saw Inuyasha and Sesshomaru violently fighting Naraku. Sango and Miroku were Kirara fighting a massive fire-breathing bird. Kagome and Shippo were teaming up to fight giant slugs that Naraku had sent out. Everywhere there were sacred arrows, flying boomerangs, saimyosho, and there was chaos everywhere. So far, neither Inuyasha nor Sesshomaru had scratched Naraku. The evil demon had put up a barrier of sorts and it deflected all attacks aimed towards it.

Kagura smirked at the scene, "So much fighting… Naraku really is prepared for any occasion… Anyhow, soon, the dogs will fall to their death along with their mortal friends at the hands of Naraku." Kagura saw Naraku motion for her to bring Rin over to him, so, Kagura did exactly that. Rin silently followed Kagura, 'This is horrible! Someone is going to get seriously injured if all this keeps up… Lord Sesshomaru, I hope you stay safe…' Rin thought sadly.

"So Rin, you see all of this, it will all end soon. All your friends will fall into the afterlife except for you, and what would you do then?" Naraku looked at Rin, a smile plastered on his face, "You will have no where to go…" Naraku had Rin looking straight into his eyes as he held Rin chin and tilted it upwards. "Oh wait! I almost forgot the main attraction." Naraku released Rin, and chanted something Rin couldn't understand. For a moment, time seemed to freeze as everybody stopped moving. Then all of a sudden, green vines sprouted from the earth and entangled every human, demon, and beast within its vines. Rin gasped at the position of where everyone was. Their mouths were covered so they couldn't scream, and their hands and feet were bounded so they could move. Everyone's weapons were lying on the floor, far from their reach. 'No….' Rin thought. 'What has Naraku done?' She looked at her lord, who was growling, his eyes bloody red with anger. "Uh, Sesshomaru, I suggest you don't do anything drastic, remember I could kill this human girl with one strike." Naraku warned as he turned to see Rin. "So Rin, you have been put on the spotlight… Look at all you hopeless friends entangled within all my vines. Your survival is the only thing holding them back. Awww, how touching, too bad it won't last."

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were growling like crazy, and the others just stared. 'What's he going to do to her?' Kagome, Sango, Miroku, and everyone else thought. Naraku was doing something completely unlike him; everyone was worried for Rin's safety.

"Now you look at all the people who care for you, and you yourself shall determine everyone's fate." Naraku looked mischievously at her, and Rin wondered what kind of danger was heading her way. "You will have to choose… Either let them live and become my mate… Or kill them, and you will be free from me. Whatever you choose, you will have to do by your own hands, kill them, or come to me…" After Naraku finished, he floated into the air and became surrounded by a bubble of black mist. "It's your choice…"

Rin looked from Naraku to all of them, thinking, 'Either way, Naraku benefits from my decision.' She looked at Sesshomaru, trying to get some sort of advice, but all he did was stare back at her with saddened eyes. She had never seen that before in all her time with him. Rin then looked over to Inuyasha and Kagome; both of them were also looking at her with crestfallen eyes. Rin didn't bother to look at Sango, Miroku and Shippo because she already knew what they were doing. 'I have to choose… For all of them; if I become Naraku's mate, all of them will have a chance to live. Choosing to kill them in exchange for my freedom is selfish, what kind of choice is that? Well, I guess there is only one clear choice…'

"No Rin! Don't! Choosing to become Naraku's mate will forever bond him to you. You will get a part of his power; is that what you want? You will become corrupted and probably turn evil just like him! Is that what you want?! Please Rin, there has to be something else. You just can give up your whole life to Naraku! Please!" Kohaku screamed desperately, his eyes full of madness and sorrow.

Rin had already started to cry unconsciously, "What other choice do I have…?" She whispered desolately.

**A/n: Thank you all who have been reading and reviewing! Just keep up the reviews! Well, yet another cliffy… I just hope I don't kill y'all…!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Everything was quiet except for gusts of wind and the occasional sprinkle of snow. Everyone was looking at her, the person who was to decide their fate. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha could have broken out of the vines long ago, but for Rin's safety, they held their place. 'Why her… Naraku you damned son of a bitch, you will never pull this out. Rin may be a human, but I sense that there is something underneath the appearance… Please Rin… I know you can free us all… Just… Find it. Find that special weapon that will defeat Naraku… I know it's there.' Sesshomaru prayed that Rin could pull all of them out, including herself, out of this mess safely.

Rin turned to Naraku and looked into his eyes; his red pupils stared back at her with interest. Suddenly, the power she felt from before when he kissed her came back. Unexpectedly, Rin's vision was altered and she was looking into the past… Naraku's past.

Rin saw a much younger Naraku playing with another boy. He looked very happy, smiling, and running around with his friend. Then the scene changed, Naraku was a bit older and was walking with a girl that looks strangely like Rin. They are in a park and Naraku kisses the girl on the cheek. 'Awww, those two lovebirds…' Rin thought. Again the scene changed, and it was like watching a movie that was being fast forwarded. Time passes and Naraku became an older teen. The girl that he kissed is now his girlfriend. The scene changes to Naraku walking by himself in the woods. He then sees the boy that he was playing ball with before with his girlfriend. Naraku watches the two chatting happily or 'flirting', which was what Rin thought they were doing. The boy then kisses Naraku's girlfriend and those two keep it up for about two minutes. Naraku is seen with a jealous and angry face. Naraku then runs into a really old lady, and he runs her over. She gets knocked to ground and Naraku keeps walking. Rin then sees the old lady become surrounded by black flames. Naraku then also becomes surrounded in black flames, and he is seen screaming. Soon the smoke clears and Rin sees Naraku, looking like he does now. His once black pupils turned into blood red ones.

_For a girl who has turned you into the monster that stands before me, another girl must turn you back to the way you were before. Love is something very precious, and if someone's love is toyed with, it can make that person insane. Fate has brought us to meet and for you to be turned evil. Destiny will bring you to meet someone who will break my spell. Farewell and good luck._

Rin noticed that the old lady had disappeared and the evil Naraku has been created. 'So ever since then and up to this day, all this time, the evil Naraku had just been a curse. This Naraku was created from the good Naraku's jealousy and anger. Poor him, to have lived such a fate. Well, destiny has let me see this vision, and I have to fulfill my duty.' Suddenly, Rin's vision went back to the present, and everyone was in the same spot before Rin had that vision. She turned towards Naraku, now full of confidence, "Naraku, before I make my decision, you have to listen to what I have to say…"

**A/n: Just keep in mind while reading this, chapter 9, and the epilogue, should I make a sequel to this story? Let me know and review please! Oh yeah… I'm so evil with my cliffhangers! Muhahaha!!! Snickers evilly**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Finally it had come down to this, after all the fighting, something important was about to happen and nobody knew except for Rin. She took a deep breath and continued, "Naraku, when I look into your eyes, I see crimson pupils looking back at me. But where they always so red? Were you always the person you are now? Did you always kill people just for the fun of it?" Naraku had a nervous face on, and that to Rin was a good sign. "I may have been born a plain, worthless human, but even if I'm worthless, I have my place in this world. Recently I have learned that the path I am destined to take has become clear. I was born onto this world for reasons, some which are still unknown to me. But one of the reasons that fate brought us together, is for me to help you."

Everyone that was still twisted in the vines had no idea what Rin was talking about, except for Sesshomaru. He had thought that something unusual was going to happen at this encounter with Naraku and his prophecy was true. All he could do now was watch, and let Rin control this game.

"I may be a human with no special powers whatsoever, but a vision I had ignored that law. Naraku, you are a demon that absorbs other demons to get more power, and you are the type who kills innocent people just to smell the enticing smell of blood. But where did all your evilness come from? Nobody is born evil, so where did your evil come from?" Rin continued, more focused, and more determined than ever.

"Stop it. Why are you telling me this? I have no need for such nonsense." Naraku may have said those words of discontinuing firmly, but a little part of his voice was scared of what was going to happen if she continued.

Rin tried to ignore his comment and continued further, "Your jealousy and anger of what happened so many years before fuels your evilness. Do you remember that girl from your childhood; the one that left you for your best friend? You were very angry and upset with both of them so you purposely ran into that old lady in the forest. And do you remember what happened after that? She placed a curse on you and turned you evil. She said that everyone's heart is very fragile, and if it is toyed with, it can drive a person to insanity. Well, that is what happened to you… Your broken heart drives you to pointlessly kill all these innocent people." Rin stopped a moment to take a breath. She could believe that all these words were easily pouring out her mouth. "Naraku… A wise priestess once told me that if there is someone there to break a heart, then there has to be someone there to heal that broken heart…" Naraku was now holing his head, looking pained from his head. The black mist around him was clearing and he was gently falling to the ground.

Naraku agonizingly looked at Rin, "N-n-no… Stop…. STOP!!!" "Ahh!!!!!!" He slowly crouched onto his knees, and a golden yellow light engulfed him. Everybody's eyes were in awe, including Sesshomaru's. The light surrounding Naraku was extremely bright and the whole sight made everyone speechless. Rin realized that her words were working so she kept going.

"Naraku, that girl that left you was not meant to be with you, but one day, there will be someone who will love you more than anything in this world. You were brought into this world for a reason, and one day, your reason will become clear. Nobody is really born with a reason, and they have to find it themselves. It may be in what they do or in a person. And Naraku, I hope you find your reason in your soul mate. When I was little, I always believed that everyone in this world has a person they are meant to be with for the rest of their life. Naraku, I'm sure that you will find the other half to your soul somewhere in this world. I have found my reason for living in the people who I spend my days traveling with, and I hope you will find your reason soon." After Rin finished her speech, she was crying yet again. Now the light around Naraku had increased, and inside, Naraku was changing. Sesshomaru had also noticed that his evil scent had disappeared.

Finally the light that disappeared and an exhausted Naraku fell to the ground. The vines that had tangled everybody had vanished along with all the other creations of the evil Naraku, including Kagura and Kanna. The black chain around Rin's neck had also disappeared. Everybody decided to stay where they were, so they not interrupt the moment. Rin ran over to the fallen and Naraku and shook him, to make sure he was alive. He got up from the ground and was on his knees along with Rin. She had noticed Naraku's eyes were a darker shade of amber; 'He's also much handsomer when he's not evil' she thought. "T-t-t-thank you… Thank you for freeing me… I heard everything that you said, and yes… I also hope that I will find the person I was meant to be with soon. If it wasn't for you…"

"I know… I am glad to help, and now that you are freed from her curse, what will you do?" Rin asked, helping Naraku stand up. He was a little wobbly from the lack of energy, but he was able to stand by himself.

"I don't know, maybe just travel a bit, and get to know this world a little bit better. Maybe I will be able to see you on your travels one day." He smiled a genuine smile as he gave Rin a little peck on the cheek. "I can never thank you enough, and maybe one day, I will be able to return the favor. But right now, I think your friends are waiting for you…" After that, he disappeared into the sky. 'So, he was a full demon after all…' Rin thought. 'He seemed so much younger and more carefree, so unlike the evil, grumpy Naraku.'

**A/n: Just keep in this in mind, should I write a sequel? Tell me and review, thank you! Oh finally, the story seems at peace…NOT! THERE IS ONE MORE GOOEY-FILLED CHAPTER AND A LITTLE COMEDIC RELIEF.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Epilogue**

Rin ran back to her awaiting friends, "Rin!" Kagome ran up to her and gave her a life-sucking hug, "Thank goodness you are alright, I can't believe you did it." She said; her face bright with delight. "But I still don't get it, how did you managed to free Naraku from that spell. Do you know what happened?"

Rin pondered it for a moment, "Well, I don't really know why, maybe-" She was interrupted by the sight of the priestess she remembered from long ago. "It's y-y-y-you…" She breathed, surprised at what was before her eyes. The priestess looked no different from back when Rin was little. She was the same middle-aged priestess from her childhood. She was wearing priestess robes just like Kikyo, and instead of a bow and arrow, she had a necklace with a fancy circular pattern design in the middle. Her hair was tied into a high ponytail and her bangs were split in the middle. Rin thought, 'So many years has gone by, but why hadn't she aged even one day?'

"Hello Rin," the priestess greeted in her smooth voice. "I'm glad that you remember me, if you had forgotten, my name is priestess Kirei. I had been watching you throughout the event with Naraku. And I'm very proud of you, as I'm sure your parents would have been too. You have discovered the Dominion Light, which resides within your heart. It is a special power, only given to those who have the purest of heart. With the Light, you will be able to heal the corrupted at heart. Your spirit will bring happiness to those around you, and the Light will give you invisible powers. You may not notice any power, but it is there, and it will reveal itself when it needs to. The incident with Naraku was an example of the unseen power of the Dominion Light."

"B-b-but how…? Your look exactly the same as you did so many years ago. How did you not change?" Rin could not believe what Kirei had said, but something told her that even if she did not believe, it was true.

"I know why." Inuyasha answered Rin's question with no hesitation, "She smells like graveyard soil, just like Kikyo. Kirei technically isn't alive. By her smell, it seems that the same person that revived Kikyo revived her. She probably lived around Kikyo's time, and died along the same timeline as her."

"You are correct… I am the older sister of both Kaede and Kikyo. I wasn't really close to Kaede, so it's no surprise that she didn't mention me. But Kikyo and I were closer, and when Kikyo was a child, I used to play with her all the time. When she and I grew up, we spread farther away from each other. We never had those happy and carefree times ever again…" Kirei had a really gloomy face, but she kept on going, "When Kikyo was killed by Naraku, I was there to take care of little Kaede, but that didn't last long. Soon Naraku killed me, saying that I was too close to Kikyo and the Shikon Jewel to live. It was a quick death… Like Kikyo, I had spiritual powers to some extent, so before I fell into the afterlife, I made a wish on my powers to turn into Lights and hide themselves with the purity of people's hearts. I didn't want to descend into the afterlife with my gift, which I couldn't use. I wanted to give my powers to people who will be able to use them, and I made sure that my powers made it to kind people. Now that I am revived from the dead, I have no powers. But unlike Kikyo, I want to keep on living in this world, even after Naraku has been defeated, so I can help little children grow up to be like yourself, Rin. Selfless and kind; caring and loving to people, good or bad all around them." She smiled a beautiful smile, and looked at everyone. Finally her eyes stopped on Inuyasha. "So you are the handsome man my sister fell in love with, and I can see why. I see a bright light shining with your half-demon heart. The courage and will of a human and the bravery and strength of a demon; it is a perfect match." She walked over to Kagome and examined her up and down, "So you are the re-carnation of my sister. Yes… You do look alike like her. I guess it was the power of the Shikon Jewel that created you. You are very lucky Kagome…" Kagome just looked at Kirei in a 'What? I don't get it' expression. Kirei walked away from them and smiled again to everyone, "I hope I will get to see all of you soon, bye bye for now." And with that, she vanished into the woods.

Everyone was quiet for a moment; then Kagome walked over to Rin and whispered something into her ear. "But what if-?" Rin asked to Kagome's request. Kagome shook her head and whispered something more. Bored of the weirdness of the situation, Sesshomaru walked over to Rin and Kagome left to Inuyasha. 'Wait… I know!" 'Before I tell him… Something else has to happen first.' Rin thought as looked at Sesshomaru then ran over to Inuyasha and Kagome. Suddenly becoming bolder, Rin walked in between Kagome and Inuyasha, but not too in between so Kagome and Inuyasha couldn't see each other. "You two…" Rin started with a little grin on her face. "I have heard that you two, oh, how should I say this…?" Rin pretended to think by putting a finger to her chin. "I have noticed that you two have something in your minds to tell each other. Am I right? Please you guys, it's so obvious, just say it…" Rin looked at Kagome to Inuyasha then from him to her. Rin then mouthed again, 'Say it'. Sango and Miroku were looking at each other with an 'Awww…' expression. Kohaku was blushing nervously, obviously knowing what was going to happen. Jaken just looked disgustedly at them, muttering words like 'worthless humans' and 'revolting'. Sesshomaru was more looking at Rin than the couple in front of her. Shippo muttered immaturely, "Peeeeer pressure."

"Uh, I-" They both began at the same time, and now they were blushing even harder than before, if that was even possible. Rin 'ahem'ed giving both of them 'Just say it' looks.

Kagome took a deep breath, "Inuyasha… I know that you loved Kikyo before me, but…" She blushed so hard that she started to look like a ripe tomato. Kagome took her millionth deep breath and continued, "Inuyasha, I-I-I…I love you…" By the time Kagome finished, she was whispering. Inuyasha's face now matched the color of his outfit.

"Kagome… I l-l-love you too…" Inuyasha replied to Kagome, also very softly. Rin rolled her eyes and whispered something to Kagome and then to Inuyasha. She then stepped back and let the two lovebirds take it from there. Sango was holding Miroku's hand due to the heaviness of emotion in the air. Kohaku was using Shippo to block his view of the couple. Jaken was now starting to mutter curses under his breath. Sesshomaru was imagining Rin and him in the same position as Inuyasha and Kagome. 'No! Don't fall prey to the human!' His thoughts interrupted his vision. 'After everything she said to Naraku, how can you ignore the hints?' He was arguing with himself again… After he cleared his head, he was witnessing a scene with his brother having a 'passionate' moment with Kagome. Sesshomaru growled at the scene in front of him, and averted his eyes.

After they were finished Kagome eyed Rin, "Well, are you happy now? It's you turn… You have showed so many people here the value of life, and it's about time you find yours…" Kagome motioned for Rin to go over to Sesshomaru, and she made Inuyasha and the others, including the objecting Jaken to 'go away' a.k.a go and hide behind a tree and watch. So as they left, Rin walked over to Sesshomaru, and smiled at him. Sesshomaru looked down at her with gentle eyes; he might not have smiled with his mouth, but he definitely was smiling with his eyes.

"Lord Sesshomaru, now that I told Naraku and you the reason for living, I have begun to see mine clearly. That night a few days ago when I talked to you I said that I see my reason in my life with you and Jaken. But now… I think that my reason for living is just you and only you… Lord Sesshomaru, ever since you resurrected me from the dead, I have always looked up to you. Now I see you as…" Rin didn't know if she was going to cry or blush.

Sesshomaru reached down and held her cheek. He looked into her chocolate eyes and said, "Thank you" before he gently kissed her. Rin jumped at the sudden contact but then realized what and who she was kissing, and relaxed. Sesshomaru then pulled away and whispered into her ear, "After everything with Naraku, Kirei and Inuyasha, you have shown me, that after all these years; I still have a place in my heart for loving." Sesshomaru closed his eyes and paused for a moment, then whispered in an even quieter tone, "I love you too…" Saying those foreign words sounded so strange on his tongue, but he was glad that he told her. Sesshomaru then embraced his newly found love. After all the time of fighting with himself, he finally admitted that even if Rin was a human, she was definitely above the human standard. She was someone special in this plain world, and she was someone who had the light to shine through his dark heart.

Both of them pulled away; then Rin thought of something. "Lord Sesshomaru? I recently had a dream or more of a flashback from when I was still little. Do you remember that heart-shaped rock I gave you? Well-"

Sesshomaru interrupted her with a small grin, "Say no more." That was all he said, but then he pulled out the heart-shaped rock from under his armor. Rin's eyes lit bright at the sight.

"After all these years…? Y-you still kept it…?" She suddenly jumped onto Sesshomaru, avoiding his armor of course, and gave him a bear hug. Now tears were starting to flow down her cheeks, but they weren't tear of sorrow, but tears of happiness. "Thank you…"

"Dammit, I can't hear anything they're saying!" Inuyasha complained to the other who were hiding in the woods.

"Well, as long as those two are finally together, I satisfied." Kagome said and everyone else nodded except for Jaken, whose mouth and eyeballs were in erratic positions. "I wish the both of you happiness in the future."

**A/n: Thank you for reading my story! Now, please tell me if I should make a sequel to this story and leave some reviews while you're at it. Thank you! 'I'm so sad…the story is over...' sniffles 'But if you people want more…'**

**Thanks to my loyal reviewers:**

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**Special thanks to my loyal-er reviewers**

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**Again, thank you all my reviewers for reviewing my story!**


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